Kids Can Be Mean
by ellie2498
Summary: What happens when Noah sees Cody being bullied? What should he do? Read to find out! Told from Noah's point of view.
1. What I Saw

17% of kids are bullied. Big whoop. I thought that this had to be a lie, or at least an exaggeration, because I'd never seen it happen before. Well, happen in real life anyway, because anything having to do with Total Drama is _not real._ My idea of bullying is like in cartoons, where the bully is this huge guy, with two even bigger sidekicks, then they hold the victim by their feet and take their lunch money. I know that's not very realistic, but I assumed it had to be something along those lines. Truth is, it happens everyday in middle school, and I guess the reason I never noticed it was because it wasn't happening to someone I cared about before.

I was at my locker, about to go to English, when I heard a scream. It wasn't like an, _"OMG, you scared me!"_ scream that girls often do. It was more of a, "_Please don't kill me!"_ kind of scream. Mildly intrigued, I looked around for the source of the high-pitched sound. I did a double take when I saw who it was, and not just because I thought a girl had screamed.

Cody.

The nerd who was on Total Drama with me.

See, I wasn't big on making friends in season one, I spent season two chilling at home and watching the drama on television, and we were on separate teams in season three. Yeah, sure we go to the same school and are in the same grade, unlike most of the cast, but the longest conversation we have probably ever had was maybe twenty words, max.

Cody didn't seem the type to get bullied. He always seemed so... confident. It didn't matter what people thought of him. He just kept doing his own thing, playing video games and getting rejected by girls... Oh. Well, when you put it like that, he does kind of sound nerdy... Never mind. It's not right for anyone to be bullied.

This football player (Jack, maybe) was pressing Cody up against his locker, and saying something I couldn't hear over the chatter of the other 8th graders returning from lunch. His ignorant friend, Andre, who I think is also a football player, snorted and yelled, "Good one, Jack!" Then, Jack leaned really close into Cody's face and whispered something. _I bet Jack's breath smells lovely. _Cody quickly nodded, mouth slightly open in horror, revealing the gap in his teeth. Satisfied, Jack released his grip on Cody, and sauntered off, Andre following closely behind.

I slammed my locker and headed off to go talk to Cody. Normally, I wasn't one of those "be a hero, stick up for the little guy" type of people, but I felt bad for him. He looked so... _fragile._

Before I could reach him though, he sprinted off in the other direction. But hey, can you blame him? I would be pretty shaken up too, if that happened to me. I just hope it doesn't happen again.

Then I realized, in my haste, I forgot my book in my locker. Thanks, Cody.

* * *

I didn't see Cody the rest of the day. I wasn't exactly sure what I would've said if I had seen him, so in a way, it's good I couldn't find him. I don't want to make our small friendship even more awkward, by saying something like, "Hey, I saw you and Jack earlier. Is there something going on between you two?" That sounds like something my mom would say when she sees me talking to a girl.

But sure enough, right after lunch, I saw Jack and Andre leave Cody's locker, and Cody ran off, looking worrried. I wish I could tell someone about this, but I have no friends, my parents don't listen to me, and I hate all of my teachers. So, I decided to go to my home-away-from-home. The library.

After school, I walked straight there. I yanked open one of the huge wooden doors. My neighborhood is really old, with a really old library. That's why it always smells musty in there, but once you get used to it, it's kind of comforting. You could spend a whole day there, and not even realize time is passing you by.

I got onto the computer and typed 'bullying' into the search engine. A bunch of results came up, all located in the SSPRT section. I had never heard of that before, and that's saying something, because I'm here almost everyday.

I browsed through aisle after aisle, looked though shelf after shelf, and found nothing. The library had never let me down before, but I was about ready to give up. There was only one other option.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where the SSPRT section is?" I asked a college-aged girl, sitting behind the desk, reading a magazine and chomping bright pink gum.

"SSPRT... Oh! You mean the self-support section?" she asked a little too loudly. I hope no one else heard that.

"Uhh.. sure?"

"Oh! That's not in the main library! It's the second left down that hallway," she pointed.

"Thanks." I walked off.

I had never really been down this hallway before, unless I had to go to the bathroom. I had never payed attention to this part of the library, but sure enough I came to a door labeled 'Self-Support.' I opened it a crack, and it was pitch black. Thank God, no one else was in here. I stepped in and looked for a lightswitch. I found one against the wall, and the room illuminated with only a couple lights on the ceiling. Definately not enough light. Immediately, I noticed the dust covering these abandoned books. I wondered when was the last time anyone had been in here.

They had books on everything in here, such as dealing with debt, unemployment, obesity, being cheated on, depression, etc. It was eerie. Surprisingly, there was only one book on bullying, probably because not a lot of kids come in here. It had black, tattered covers, and in gold letters it said, "_The Victim's Point of View. A Book of Poetry Written by Teens."_

Poetry? This is the only thing I can find? I looked through the small room again, carefully reading every title. When I came across nothing else, I panicked. I didn't want anyone to think I'd gone soft and started reading poems.

After considering this for another second, I inserted it back in the spot I found it, turned the lights back off, walked straight out the door, and headed home. _I barely know Cody, so why am I trying to solve his problems for him? I'm sure he can do it himself. Let the ladies man deal with it._


	2. Decisions, Decisions

The next morning, I was walking to school like I usually do, through various neighborhoods. It's quieter that way, and no one lives over here because it's all old and/or rich people. But today, in the distance, I saw someone walk out of their house. I could tell it was a student because they had a red backpack slung over their petite shoulders. I had time to get closer to see who it was, because they had to turn around and lock their front door.

It was a boy... with messy brown hair... about my height, maybe a little shorter... could it be? No, I shouldn't jump to conclusions. Then again... Why not?

"Hey, Cody!" I called.

He turned around, his innocent blue eyes widened with fear, but his expression softened when he saw it was me. He stopped, allowing me to catch up.

"Hey, what's up?" he said. Was it just me, or did his voice sound kind of depressed? No, not depressed, maybe hurt or strained? I can't describe it, but it wasn't his usual bubbly tone. Or maybe I'm just being paranoid.

"Oh, you know, the usual."

"Do you still read all the time?"

"When I'm not celebrating being off that demented show, yes," I replied with a smirk.

Cody chuckled a little, and then it was silent, except for the sound of our feet hitting the pavement. It was so awkward, and for once in my life, I couldn't think of anything to say. That boy messes with my head. All I could think was, _"Did you see his adorable face wearing that ugly worried expression when he turned around?" _Wait. I didn't mean to say adorable. I meant attractive. No! I meant... hideous. Anyway, I almost smacked myself for catching up with him. I hate awkward.

I tried catching glances of him through the corner of my eyes. There was a bruise on his cheek. I wonder what created it, but I didn't want to ask. I wanted to kiss it to make it better. I mean, uh... Okay, there's no covering that up. Just pretend I never said that. I racked my brain for something else to say, but I didn't have to.

"Do you know who Zachary Taylor was?" asked Cody.

"Uh, yeah," I was surprised at the random question. I tried not to sound cynical when I answered, but that's hard when you're me. "The twelfth president."

"Oh. Cool. I've always wondered that, but didn't want to sound stupid asking." He blushed. "You know, since we go to Zachary Taylor Middle School." I nodded, but I don't think he saw me. He kept talking. "Or maybe they did teach us, and I wasn't paying attention again..." he trailed off.

I love it how he rambles on when he's embarrased.

"Well, I gotta go drop off my gym clothes. See you at lunch?" Cody said as we walked in the school building.

"Yeah. See ya," I said as he started off towards the locker rooms. I failed to say that I spent lunch in the school library everyday. There was no force on Earth that could make me go in that dirty, smelly, crowded cafeteria.

* * *

During lunch, instead of focusing on my book, I kept thinking about why Jack would want to bully Cody. I mean, he's a good kid (Cody, not Jack) and would never hurt a fly. Okay, that's an exaggeration, because images of him punching Duncan pop up in my head, but you get the point.

I kept replaying the scenes of him being bullyed in my mind, searching for details I never noticed before. If this was some kind of puzzle, I could find a mathematical solution to this. _Think, Noah, think!_

_"Cody quickly nodded, mouth slightly open in horror, revealing the gap in his teeth." _...the gap in his teeth... that dental nightmare of a smile that gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling... Ugh! Noah! Back on track!

I pushed my bag lunch out of the way, and layed my head down on the wooden table. _If only I could figure out what Jack was saying..._

That's it! I'll just ask him! I mean, how hard can it be? I grabbed my mostly uneaten lunch and my book and headed out the door. When I approached the cafeteria doors, I couldn't help thinking that Cody really does drive me crazy. I hesitated, contemplating my actions. Here I am, about to go into the cafeteria, for the first time in my middle school career. I peeked in the windows, hoping I didn't get spotted. It didn't take me very long to find Cody, sitting there alone, eating the slop they sold in the cafeteria. As I was about to pull the handle to the door, the bell pierced the air of the almost-silent hallway. _Shit. _

I jumped out of the way, not wanting to get trampled by the herd of my fellow peers. I looked behind my shoulder, half-expecting Cody to be standing there in the front of the pack of the noisest people ever. When he wasn't, I ran for the safety of my locker. I shoved my lunch in there, and stood with my back to it, watching for Cody to walk up to his own locker. _There he is. _His locker was across the hall, and a little to the left of mine, so I doubted that he would spot me. Plus, there was a crowd of about a hundred people in between us.

As if on cue, Jack and Andre walked up to him. I tried to get closer to hear what they were saying. Putting my arms out in front of me, and probably looking like a dork, I attempted to cross the packed hallway. _It's useless! Even if I did get closer, wihtout being seen, there's no way I could hear them._ I was about to retreat, when I caught a glimpse of that poor, defenseless face. His teal eyes looked on the verge of tears.

It was now or never. I had to do something.

* * *

**I hope you like my story so far! Thanks for taking the time to read it! Please review, because this is my first fanfic! I apologize in advance if I don't update it soon. NOCO FOREVER! Luv, Ellie**


	3. I'm Not A Geekface!

**This chapter is told from Cody's point of view just because I want to change it up a bit. I hope you like it!**

* * *

That morning, I had walked to school because Jack rides my bus. I thought that I could escape the torture and just be alone for once. The last person I expected to see was my old castmate, Noah. I'm even more surprised he actually called out to me.

When I first heard his voice, I freaked. _How did they find me?!_ But when I saw him, I flooded with relief. Finally, a friendly face. Well, mostly friendly. Actually, Noah's never really been friendly to anyone before, except maybe Owen.

I can't say I really trusted him yet. Even though he's the only one who has never called me names or were too embarrassed to talk to "the loser," other than my parents, who never pay attention to me anyway! Ugh! Life is _so _hard sometimes.

When we got to school, of course I went to the locker room. I would be alone (not that I wanted to ditch Noah, but I had to admit, it was awkward), and in the chance someone does walk in, there's a billion places to hide in there. My body's so small, I can fit almost anywhere. Pretty much my only advantage against Jack.

That day at lunch, I was disappointed that Noah didn't show. I kept trying to convince myself that maybe he's still at his locker, or maybe a teacher held him after class. But twenty minutes into lunch, I realized it was a set-up. Very funny. Make the geek think he has friends. I scanned the cafeteria to see if anyone was pointing and laughing. People do that to me often, but I can never get used to the feeling of humiliation.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. I put up my lunch tray and joined the crowd of the other obnoxious 8th graders leaving the cafeteria. I considered not stopping by my locker today, but my math would kill me if I forgot my textbook again, which was in my locker. Of course.

I hate going to my locker between classes because of Jack. His last name is Asston, and mine's Anderson, so our lockers are right next to each other. Fun, right? Having a locker next to the school bully? Haha, no.

I walked up to it and started nervously twisting my lock. _Four to the right... eighteen to the left... and..._

"Hey, geekface!"

I turned around, only to see Jack, and his "boyfriend," Andre. I tried to jump to my right to get around them and run, but my feet were glued to the floor. Jack pressed my shoulders against the cold, metal lockers. My legs started shaking as if they had a mind of their own.

"Where were you this morning?" he demanded.

"I... I..." I couldn't think straight with those dangerous, deadly, hardened-in-juvie eyes staring right into my soul.

He punched me in the stomach.

As I tried to regain the ability to breathe, I also fought the urge to cry, which was a hard battle. I lost.

A single tear fell down my face, and I knew that in a few seconds, one would turn into hundreds.

"Look! You made it cry! What a baby!" That observation, made by Andre, caused them both to burst into fits of laughter. Isn't there any witnesses, anyone that will stick up for me? Of course not. No one wants their face pounded in. My vision grew even more blurry as dozens of hot tears rolled down my cheeks. I struggled to keep my mouth closed, because sobbing noises would only make my situation worse. My lips quivered, and the lump in my throat grew bigger.

All of the sudden, the death grip on my shoulders released, and for a brief second I thought, _did I just faint? _I sturdyed myself on my feet again and wiped my eyes to clearly see what happened.

Jack's huge back covered my view, but I heard a familiar, monotone voice say, "What do you think you're doing?" Was that..._Noah? _Maybe I did pass out and this was some crazy dream.

I took a step forward to see if my suspicion was true, but Andre pinned me up against the lockers again and said, "Don't think you're off the hook, shortstack."

Whoever stood up for me was now screaming as the awful sound of fists hitting skin played over and over again. Class had already started, so the hallway was silent except for our little scene. To my horror, the screaming stopped and Jack turned back around. For a split second, I caught a glimpse of him, lying unconscious on the floor. His tan skin and sweatervest were covered with red blood.

A small sound escaped my lips that sounded a lot like, "_Noah..._"

"Now, where were we?!" Jack's eyes blazed with anger and his knuckles were bloody.

In that moment, something came over me. I don't know what it was. Oh, yeah, I do. Six years of built-up anger from six years of bullying was released from inside of me.

I screamed and charged forward, breaking the grip Andre had on me. Thinking back on it, the only reason he probably let go of me was of surprise. But hey, it worked. I ran straight for Jack. He deserved whatever I can throw at him, and more.

Okay, so I'm not the strongest. Jack had me pinned down on the ground in a matter of seconds. I received a blow to the face, and was bracing for another, when a teacher came and pulled him off me. Another teacher was calling 9-1-1.

I leaned against the closest wall and held my aching head, because the hallway was spinning around me. When I started to see black spots, I remembered Noah. I summoned the rest of my strength and crawled over to him.

"_Noah..._"

A paramedic took him away from me. I collapsed.

* * *

**Please review! What do you think should happen next?**


	4. Thanks for Everything

The next thing I remember is being inside an ambulance. A blonde paramedic was pressing something cold on my throbbing face. Her fingernails were painted bright red. The sirens weren't nearly as loud inside the vehicle as they were outside. I wondered if my parents knew about this incident. My vision faded away.

Then I remember sitting in a white room while a nurse took my blood pressure. How did I get here?

Next, I remember a police officer asking me questions.

"What's your name, son? Full name, please."

"Uhhhh..." What was my name? Oh yeah... "Cody Emmett Jameson Anderson." That sounds right.

"How old are you?"

"Uh..." Another challenging question. My thoughts were all static. "Thirteen?"

"How long have you known this 'Jack' fellow?"

"Six years."

"And how long has he been bullying you?"

"... six years," I choked out. I could tell I was about to start crying again.

"Did you know Noah before? Are you guys friends?"

"Yes, and..." Were we friends? I couldn't be sure, but he did stick up for me today, so I guess so. "...yes."

"Can you tell me exactly what happened today?"

"Well," my vision blurred again, "I was..." My voice cracked and before I knew it, I was bawling like a baby. I pulled my knees up to my chest. The cop said someting to me that I can't remember, then walked away. My mom came out of nowhere and hugged me. I'm pretty sure I wiped snot all over her shoulder. I vaguely wondered if Noah was crying right now too.

NOAH!

"Where's Noah?" I asked no one in particular.

"You can't see him right now. You have to stay here," my mom told me.

"No! You don't understand! I have to see him NOW!" Fresh tears appeared, and my voice sounded funny. "Noah! Noah!" I started calling for him as if he was right around the corner.

A nurse must've taken pity on me because she sat me down and told me I couldn't see him for another twenty minutes. She didn't understand either that I needed to see him now! I sat there, probably for about thirty seconds, then I couldn't take it anymore. I started to rock back and forth, with my knees pulled up to my chest again.

My mom was sitting next to me texting. _Thanks for the support, Mom._ But then I noticed a familiar face peeking out of her purse.

I gasped. "Jerry!"

"Oh yeah. I forgot to tell you, but I grabbed him for you, just in case."

"Thanks!" I hugged the tattered, stuffed emu. He was my best friend, until Sierra told everyone about him and I was a laughingstock. Then, I stowed him away in my closet where I couldn't be teased about him anymore. But right now, I needed a friend. Since Noah was MIA, Jerry would have to do.

I sat there, stroking Jerry, for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, the same nurse came up to me and said I could visit him until his family got here. I jumped up and ran to his room, not listening to the rest of what she had to say.

"He's DEAD!" I exclaimed.

"No, he's just still unconscious," reassured the nurse.

"Oh." I slowly started to walk in the room.

"I'll leave you two alone," she said with a weird expression, but she closed the door and left anyway.

He looked so different when he was sleeping. His face was relaxed, instead of in his classic smirk, or a scowl. All of the blood was cleaned off of him, and he was dressed in a hospital gown.

"Oh, Noah... I didn't mean for this to happen..." I knew he couldn't hear me. "You didn't have to step in and stick up for me. I could've handled it on my own, like I have for the past six freakin' years. You don't deserve this, I do. But it's really sweet, how you would sacrifice yourself for me. You really do have a soft side. And we barely even know each other. I hope in the future we can be close friends. _Really _close friends." I'm aware of how cheesy this sounds. But wait- it gets worse.

I leaned in, brushed the dark hair out of his eyes, and kissed him on the forehead. That's right. I, Cody Emmett Jameson Anderson, kissed a guy. I'm just as surprised as you, maybe even more.

Someone had left a pad of paper and a pen on the table. I quickly wrote, "Thanks for everything... :) -C" and left it, along with Jerry, on the nightstand next to his bed. Then I left and told my mom I was ready to leave.

When I got home, I was so exhausted. I stripped my clothes off, flopped down on my bed, and was asleep in seconds.

* * *

The next morning, I woke up in almost exactly the same position. My alarm clock read 10:13 AM. I spotted a note on my nightstand that said, "Feel free to take the day off. I hope you feel better. Love, Mom." I wasn't surprised that Mom took off for work instead of staying with her only son, who was beaten up and taken to the hospital YESTERDAY. See, I told you my parents don't pay attention to me. I've come home with bruises all over me for six years, and not one word was said about it. My dad's out of town, so he probably doesn't even _know_ about this.

I got up and went to the bathroom. In the mirror, I saw that I had a huge bruise on my right cheek and tear stains down my face. Were those from yesterday, or did I cry in my sleep? I needed a hot bath.

As I sunk down in the tub, I recounted yesterday's events. It all came flooding back to me, and I got a little light-headed. _Oh God. Noah's in the hospital and it's all my fault._

_But I left Jerry with him. He'll make it through okay. If I could only talk to him to make sure..._

I thought about riding my bike to the hospital, but my shoulders are all bruised and sore from yesterday. I'll just have to wait for Mom to get home and drive me. I hope I can wait that long.

* * *

All throughout the day, I kept thinking about him. It was driving me crazy!

As I made myself a peanut butter sandwich, I thought, _I wonder if peanut butter is Noah's favorite too._

As I watched television, I thought, _I wonder what shows Noah likes to watch._

As I played video games, I thought, _Noah likes to play video games, too._

As I rubbed lotion on my aching shoulders, I thought, _I wish Noah were here to rub this in for me._

But I mean that in a totally un-sexual way. We're just friends, nothing more. And it's not like I'm gay or anything...

My mind wandered to the Awake-A-Thon, where Noah had kissed me on the ear. Then to the Total Drama Action Reunion Special, where Noah had cuddled me. Then to yesterday, where he stood up for me. Is it possible that Noah likes me... a little more than friends? He always called people 'honey,' and what kind of guy wears sweatervests everyday? Was I just oblivious to all of this before? And what had compelled me to kiss him yesterday?

* * *

When my mom and I were driving to the hospital later that day, she asked, "So you like this guy?"

That question threw me completely off guard, since I had been questioning my uh, sexual orientation, all day. "Uhhh..."

"It's just that you've never talked about this guy before, or hung out with him before. I was just wondering if you guys are friends."

_Ooohhhh... _"Yeah, we're cool with each other."

"You sure seem eager to see him."

"Well, yeah. He's my buddy."

"Oh, okay." She was smiling awfully suspiciously, as if she knew something I didn't. We were silent until we got there.

I braced myself for the worst when a nurse opened the door to his room. But what I saw was the same boy who stepped onto the Dock of Shame a year ago. I wonder if he also realized how much has changed since then. He looked up from the book he was reading, and his expression softened, just like mine had yesterday morning. That seemed like ages ago.

"Cody?"

* * *

**I hope you like it as much as I like writing it! :) -E**


	5. Stay With Me

**It makes me sad to think that this is the last chapter of my very first story. It might get a little confusing because I decided to switch point of view so many times, but I couldn't decide which was better. But it starts with Noah.**

* * *

Cody stepped into the room. "So... about yesterday... thanks," he said, staring at the floor, his face reddening with embarrassment.

"Yeah, I got your note." I held up Jerry. But I didn't need the note. I was awake yesterday, and heard Cody's confession. I felt his soft lips lightly press on my forehead. Oh yes, I was _very _awake for that. Should I tell him? Tell him that I returned his feelings? No. I should wait and see how this plays out. See if he decides to come out of the closet first.

"Well, one thing that has been bugging me is..."

"The gap in your teeth?" I finished for him. His face grew even more red at that, and he continued to look at his shoes.

"Why'd you stick up for me?" He looked up at me, his teal eyes begging for an answer.

"Do I need a reason?" His silence told me to continue. "I'm the awkward middle child of nine kids. I know what it's like to be bullied, even by my younger siblings. They still haven't let go of the fact that I'm gay."

**SHIT!** _Did I just say that?_ So much for waiting, or even being discreet about it.

I looked away, my face instantly growing hot. Cody looked away too, and it was really awkward, yet again. I wonder what he could possibly be thinking about. No doubt it was something like, "Oh God. Now I know why I never wanted to be friends with him," or maybe, "I can't let him touch me! I might get his _disease._" I've heard it all.

He took a deep breath. "It... it was an act."

"What?"

"You know, hitting on Gwen and stuff. I picked a girl I knew would never actually go out with me, and she was obviously crushing on Trent, and she didn't look like a slut or anything. I did it so no one could find out the truth about me."

"What truth?" I hated trying to pry this out of him, and he seemed uncomfortable telling me this, but I had to know. This was the make-it-or-break-it moment of our relationship.

"..._that I'm gay too,_" he whispered.

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit...

I kind of expected this, but it still caught me off guard. My brain clouded, and yet again, I struggled to find something to say.

"So, uh... bye." He started to walk out the door.

"Wait! Cody!"

He stopped in the doorway and turned around. "Yeah?"

"..." I couldn't process complete thoughts, but I knew he couldn't leave now. "..._stay with me,_" I whispered, tears threatening to come out of my eyes. Why, I have no idea. He took another deep breath, and for a moment, I was afraid he was going to leave me. But then he turned around, closed the door behind him, and sat down on the edge of my hospital bed, staring at the floor again. _If I were to make any moves, now would be the time! _I thought, but my limbs felt like lead.

* * *

**Cody's Point of View**

I cant' believe I told him I was gay. I didn't even know I was really gay until I said it. But it all made sense when I realized it. All of the puzzle pieces clicked into place. Though it didn't surprise me when Noah said he was.

I just sat there like an idiot on the edge of his bed, staring at the annoyingly white floors. I couldn't get myself to look at him, because I knew that if I did, I would most likely start bawling again.

I heard him sniff, and then we plunged into awkward silence again. Why was everything between us so awkward all the time? The only time I could ever _really _talk to him was when he was unconscious. Like that helps.

Noah sighed. "Cody..."

I looked over at him, only to see a few tears running down his tanned cheeks. Before I could stop myself, I wiped them off with my thumb. Then I felt a few run down my own cheeks. He smiled. Not a sarcastic smirk, but a real, genuine smile. It was small, but it still meant the world to me.

It was as if my body was on autopilot. I had no control over what I was doing. I held his chin in my hand, and leaned in and softly kissed him. But not on the forehead. This time, it was on the lips. I pulled back to see what he had to say about it, but he just leaned in and kissed me back. My insides exploded as I had my first kiss with my first crush.

* * *

**Noah's Point of View**

OH. MY. GOD. I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS.

He kissed me! On the inside, I giggled like a girl. On the outside, I kissed him back.

All of a sudden, Some Nights by Fun. started playing. Cody pulled back, looking embarrassed.

"Sorry," he said, as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He checked the screen. "One second." He answered it. I studied him for a bit, then grabbed the hand that was sitting in his lap as he was talking to whoever called him. He squeezed my hand and smiled with that classic gap in his teeth. I smiled back as I was filled with a warm fuzzy feeling.

"'Kay. Fine. See you in a second." He hung up, then gave me a small smile. "That was my mom. She's waiting for me out front."

I squeezed his hand again, trying not to look as sad as I felt. He got up and started to walk out the door, but then turned around and said, "See you tomorrow?"

"Sure, honey. Bye."

And it was in that moment that I realized that I had done the right thing. I realized that it was all worth it in the end, and that we had a fairytale ending. Also, in that moment, as he was walking out the door, I realized that he had a really cute butt. But don't tell him I said that. At least, not yet.

* * *

**Cody's Point of View**

"Nooooooooooooo! Eaten again!"

"Well, level 4 isn't bad."

Noah and I were in his room, and he was watching me play Nazi Zombies on his Xbox. I was really bad at it, even though we play this all the time.

"You're just saying that to make me feel better!" I fake-pouted.

He smirked. "Okay, you're right. You're really bad at this."

We both laughed.

I never would of thought that one day, I'd have a boyfriend. And definately not one as awesome as Noah.

It's been exactly one month and one day since 'the incident.' We call it that because Noah doesn't really like to talk about it. It also happened to be exactly one month since we both revealed our true feelings toward each other and kissed in a hospital. But this is how we decided to spend our one month anniversary. Playing video games at Noah's house.

When we told everyone the news about us being a 'thing,' most people said they saw it coming. Sierra sure was heartbroken though. I felt bad, but then again, she _was _creepy.

My parents didn't take it lightly though. But I guess it's their own damn fault for neglecting me as a child. They're watching my every move now, after all that's happened. They're also taking parenting classes, and reading these weird instructional books. I swear, they came out the most traumatized after 'the incident.'

If you're wondering about what happened to Jack, he got what he deserved. After Noah stood up to him, everyone else worked up the courage to speak up too. Jack got expelled and was sent away to some military school in Oklahoma.

As I watched Noah "show me how it's done," I smiled and thought, "My life can't possibly get any better." I leaned over and hugged him. He hugged me back, knowing that I loved a good hug.

I was wrong. Wrapped up in his warm arms, my life just got better.

* * *

**I just want to say thank you to all of you that have read this since the beginning! And I guess to all of you that read it just now too. You guys rock! Farewell (for now anyway, until I can think of another prompt to write about)! NoCo forever and always, Ellie**


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